Chapter 44: Sixth Place Top Scholars

“Yáng Wúyuè, Top Scholar in the Ceremony Exam”
“Yáng Wúyuè, Top Scholar in the Music Exam”
“Yáng Wúyuè, Top Scholar in the Archery Exam”
“Yáng Wúyuè, Top Scholar in the Charioteering Exam”
“The sun has no moon, and the top rank in the examination is the highest.”
“The sun has no moon, and the top rank in the numbers examination is the highest.”
On the day of the results announcement, as expected, there were six top candidates, and this achievement caused quite a stir. The second place went to the talented scholar from South Jin, Xie Chengyun, who also had top ranks in six subjects, but was still somewhat inferior compared to the top candidate. The third place was occupied by Ning Que with his unusual results: he was top ranked in three subjects and bottom ranked in three; for the subjects of etiquette, poetry, and literature, which are more literary and artistic, it was indeed challenging for Ning Que, coming from a border military background, and he had a significant bias in his subjects. However, he still managed to enter the academy.
“Oh my, it's another Six Subjects Outstanding!”
“Truly deserving of being Tang Kingdom's first talent!”
“I heard that five years ago a candidate from Xiling achieved Six Subjects Outstanding, and all the instructors of the academy came out to watch. The dean directly recorded it in the second floor. I wonder if this time it can also be entered in the second floor.”
“Two-Story Building!” Many geniuses turned their heads in surprise. The back mountain of the academy, commonly known as the Two-Story Building, is one of the four great unknown places.
Among the four great unknown places, the Daoist sect is hidden away in the Shouguan Observing the Hidden World, while the Taoist Mountain Sacred Realm is secluded; the Tianqing Suspended Temple is remote and located in a corner of the northwest; the Demon Sect's mountain gate remains indifferent, existing above the human realm, unknown and untraceable.
Only the second floor of the academy can connect the mortal and the sacred across two generations. As long as one passes the examination, they can become a student on the second floor of the academy, a personal disciple of the master.
These many talented individuals from foreign lands ultimately aim for the second floor of the academy, which is rumored to be extremely mysterious. The master is revered as a teacher of all ages, with no distinctions of social class, nationality, or ethnicity, teaching all without discrimination.
However, the master has existed for a thousand years, and there are still only twelve students on the second floor of the academy. Yet, Yang Wuyue clearly did not enjoy the same treatment as the previous examinee; despite being the top of the six subjects, he still did not enter the second floor.
Instead, they were assigned to ordinary students, and the method used by the academy was the simplest and fairest: a lottery, which did not take into account the candidates' family backgrounds or their entrance examination scores.
Unfortunately, Yang Wuyue happened to be placed in the same group as Ning Que, who was currently chatting with Chu Youxian about the prettiest girl in their class, Situ Yilan, the daughter of General Yun Hui. At eight years old, she rode horses down the street with a group of girls known as the "Daughter's Army." Over the years, she had scared off countless pancake and braised meat shops, frightened many bold and lustful men, and kicked away countless heartless and ungrateful suitors.
“Yang Wuyue, sit here!” Situ Yilan gestured for Yang Wuyue to sit next to her at her desk, while other boys seemed intentionally avoiding this young lady.
The academy does not prohibit women from studying. Situ Yilan is the daughter of the former Yunhui General. After her father was killed in battle, she vowed to become a female general. By the age of eight, she was riding horses through the streets, leading a group of female soldiers who specialized in dealing with the wealthy scions, and she has given a beating to a good portion of the dandy youths in the capital. However, she is indeed extremely beautiful.
Yang Wuyue isn't shy at all, sitting here with Ning Que behind him. His classmates are indeed quite extraordinary, with Ning Que being a notable exception.
The Third Prince Li Hunyuan, the talented scholar from Yangguan and grandson of Old Master Cui from Qinghe County, Zhong Dajun, the talented scholar from Nanjin, Xie Chengyun, the aristocrat from Yingchuan, Wang Ying, the daughter of General Yunhui, Situ Yilan, the youngest daughter of the Gold Sacrificial Scholar from Guozijian, Jin Wucai, and finally, Chu Youxian, who hails from a noble family in the capital.
```htmlAfter careful consideration, the only ones from humble backgrounds are him and Ning Que. To be precise, he can't even be considered from a humble background because he doesn't even have a door.
"Yang Wuyue, I heard you grew up in the mountains of Northern Frontier. What is the border like?" Si Tu Yilan is eager to become a female general, but her family won't allow her to go outside. "Is it as magnificent as the wind and snow for miles?"```
“Desolate desert, vast Gobi, biting north wind, sandstorms like knives. Life in the border town is only about fighting and preparing to fight. It is filled with corpses and death. It's not as beautiful as you imagine!” Yang Wuyue casually replied.
“I want to become a female general!” Situ Yilan felt that Yang Wuyue found her somewhat ignorant, so she quickly explained, “To fight for the country!”
“Have you ever killed anyone?” Yang Wuyue bluntly retorted.
“Eh!” As soon as these words were spoken, everyone turned to look over, even the few talented scholars were somewhat surprised.
“No... no!” Although Situ Yilan has never loved fancy clothing and prefers martial pursuits since she was young, how could she, as a young lady, be involved in something as gruesome as killing?
“Then you should start with killing chickens, and then learn to slaughter pigs to cook. While getting used to the blood, you won't go hungry outside!” Yang Wuyue said lightly, “Sometimes, with a bit of luck, you can hunt some game, but if you don’t know how to cook, you'll only eat it raw.”
“Woo!” Situ Yilan was fine, but Jin Wucai was already a bit uncomfortable.
“Ha!” Ning Que said nonchalantly, “This is just the introductory course. Think about the broken arms and legs, the blood and screams—it's unavoidable! If you don't eat, you’ll die!”
“Don’t say that!” Situ Yilan's expression changed slightly, and she hurriedly shifted the topic; she really couldn't handle it.
“This is an unavoidable hurdle!” Yang Wuyue wasn't trying to bully her, he was just informing her to adapt in advance.
“What's the point of saying all this? It's disgusting!” Li Hunyuan said unhappily. The others ignored him because the instructor had arrived.
The academy traditionally taught all without discrimination, tailoring instruction to individual needs, somewhat similar to university courses. The first lesson was etiquette, and the etiquette of the academy was about rules; rules meant strength—very simple and very harsh, but very effective.
In order to teach them etiquette, Cao Zhifeng did not hesitate to swing his fist and hit a few; surely they would have a deep memory of the rites of the academy.
As for the other courses, Yang Wuyue naturally had little interest. They waited until the afternoon when they arrived in front of a massive library building.
```htmlQuiet and fragrant with books, this is a place he loves.
阁楼上，轩窗前，一个清冷典雅的女子在已经在那里等候多时了轻声道：“诸位学子，请上楼吧。”
With the wooden building adorned and a beautiful jade-like girl, it looked like a scene from a poem or a painting. At this moment, the girl was waiting for them, stirring the imaginations of everyone present.
“So beautiful!” The students couldn't help but exclaim. While Situ Yilan and others were already breathtaking, this girl before them was on another level entirely. Her long hair reached her waist like a black waterfall, and she wore an elegant, cool-toned blue dress. Her brows and eyes were filled with a scholarly air.
This three-story wooden building appears ordinary and plain, lacking any ornate decorations or impressive eaves; it simply rises along the mountain, covered with the marks of time.
“This bookstore is called the Old Bookstore. Confucius once said that when a person's thoughts move out of their mind and onto paper, they are already outdated; hence, it is called the Old Bookstore.”
“Here, we have the richest collection of books in the vast heavens. Whatever you wish to read can be found here. If you can't find it, then please reflect on whether that book has any significance…”
“Two-story building, with mysterious books from the cultivation realm of the academy...”
“The rules of the academy must have been taught by Instructor Cao, and the regulations of the Old Book Building are as follows: copying is not allowed, taking books away is prohibited, and while they may not require excessive care, please do not treat them as toilet paper for your own use…”
“The old bookstore has four stewards and one instructor. The mysterious books on the second floor are wonderful, but one must proceed with caution when ascending. I am the instructor here, my name is Yu Lian, and we will be seeing each other often in the future.”
This is Yu Lian, the peak master hidden in the back mountain of the academy, the three masters.